An issue that has plagued this Manchester City team all season cost them against West Ham

An issue that has plagued this Manchester City team all season cost them against West Ham: An issue that has plagued this Manchester City team all season cost them against West Ham

Manchester City frustratingly drew 1-1 with West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday. The result saw City fall nine points behind Arsenal, who sit top of the Premier League table. Pep Guardiola’s side does have a game in hand on Mikel Arteta’s side. After back-to-back draws against Nottingham Forest and now West Ham in the Premier League, City’s title tilt does seem to be up against it. Looking at Manchester City’s draw with West Ham, City failed to create any real chances for an hour. In the final half-hour, City created the chances but didn’t take any of them. That is an issue that has plagued Manchester City all season and cost them again against the Hammers.

Manchester City had the control they Craven against West Ham but lacked the quality in the final third.

Pep Guardiola addressed his team’s inability to take their chances and create meaningful opportunities, which cost them against West Ham. Guardiola acknowledged that if his team can create better openingsand chances, Erling Haaland will quickly return to from. Speaking after his team’s frustrating draw at the London Stadium, Guardiola said: “The lack of goals, we miss it but it’s not about that. At the beginning of the season Phil [Foden] was unstoppable as well. It’s easy to say the reason why is this player or this player but it’s about connections, vibes, form and many things that create good interactions.”

“Erling knows it, we need his goals but we need to create more like in the first 20 minutes of the second half. First half we had a lot of control but didn’t have that threat. For him to be involved we have to create that threat. He will be back soon.”

Finding the right mix up front should help Pep Guardiola’s side carry more of an attacking threat.

What is clear is that Pep Guardiola hasn’t yet found his best attacking lineup with this new-look Manchester City side. That isn’t a major surprise considering that Antoine Semenyo only arrived at the club in January and is learning on the fly. Jeremy Doku started against Newcastle and Real Madrid, and it was unlikely that he’d start against West Ham with City facing Real Madrid in a pivotal match on Tuesday evening. Also, it does seem that Pep Guardiola is at times trying to fit square pegs into round holes.

Starting Erling Haaland, Omar Marmoush, and Antoine Semenyo together is sound in theory. In practice, it is clunky, and they do seem to get in each other’s way. Also, not having a creative player behind them to pick out the runs they make doesn’t quite work. There are options in the Manchester City squad to solve that issue. Tijjani Reijnders, Phil Foden, and Rayan Cherki could start in midfield to address that particular issue. But Foden is out of form, Reijnders hasn’t exactly set the world on fire this season, and Cherki has been played off the bench in City’s last two matches. There is a balance to be found with City needing stability in midfield and having more threat and creativity in the final third. Pep Guardiola is yet to find it at this stage.

Final thoughts.

Manchester City have shot themselves in the foot with poor finishing and a lack of creativity in their draws against Sunderland, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, and Brighton. Those five results have cost City in this season’s title race. Pep Guardiola is yet to find the ideal mix that will bring the right amount of control and balance to City’s play and add creativity to Manchester City’s attacking play. When that is found, you do feel that City will be an infinitely more dangerous team. The issue for this season is that the solution may not be found until next season, given the size and scope of Manchester City’s rebuild.